Archive
TERRORISTS or TOURISTS- FREE WEBINAR
Can you tell the difference? Know which one is which?
Who has the legal right to take photos or video of your business, in your business and on your company property?
What authority do you have to stop them?
Avoid costly litigation or criminal prosecution for assault or destruction of private property.
FREE WEBINAR SEPTEMBER 8TH 2011 8PM
REGISTER HERE www.privateofficer.com/actionrequest.html
Police officer son of Phoenix mayor accused of having sex on duty www.privateofficer.com
PHOENIX AZ Aug 28 2011 – The son of Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon will face a suspension from his job as a Phoenix Police officer after an internal investigation found he had sex on duty and inappropriately touched another city employee, according to police records obtained by the ABC15 Investigators.
Officer Jeffrey Gordon is also accused of sending pornographic text messages and illegally using a private police database to search for information about a woman. Those allegations are unresolved, records show.
Phoenix police launched an investigation in January, after a city employee reported that Gordon “intentionally had non-consensual sexual contact” with her.
Gordon was also accused of sending two pornographic video texts to the woman while on duty.
He told investigators that he may have sent them “inadvertently.”
During their investigation, Gordon also admitted to having sex and oral sex on-duty with a different woman.
Police officials decided to suspend Gordon for 32 hours.
Both Phoenix Police and the Mayor turned down interview requests. But both released statements.
Statement from Phoenix Police Sgt. Tommy Thompson:
“Consistent with department policy, Officer Jeffrey Gordon was investigated for allegations of misconduct by the Professional Standards Bureau of the Phoenix Police Department. A seven member Disciplinary Review Board, consisting of members of the public, peer officers, police commanders and an assistant police chief reviewed the investigation and findings and recommended a 32-hour suspension to Acting Police Chief Joe Yahner. Officer Gordon, who has returned to duty in the Estrella Mountain Precinct, will serve that suspension.”
Statement from Mayor Phil Gordon:
“Like any father, I will stand by my son and his family no matter how difficult the circumstances. Jeff has served the City of Phoenix with honor for 7 years, receiving numerous commendations and a Medal of Lifesaving recognition. With this incident closed, I know he’ll again serve with honor.”
Source:www.abc15.com
Medical helicopter crash in Missouri kills 4 wwww.privateofficer.com
MOSBY, Mo.Aug 28 2011 (AP) – A medical helicopter crashed in northwestern Missouri late Friday near a small airport where it planned to stop for fuel, killing all four people on board, authorities said.
The Eurocopter AS-350 was carrying three crew members and a patient when it went down at about 7 p.m. in a field a mile north of Midwest National Air Center, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Lynn Lunsford said. The airport is located near the small Clay County community of Mosby, about 20 miles northeast of Kansas City.
Lunsford said the helicopter was flying to the Kansas City suburb of Liberty. He said the aircraft was based in the northwestern Missouri city of St. Joseph, but he could not confirm that the flight originated there.
The helicopter was owned by Air Methods Corp., an Englewood, Colo.-based air ambulance operator, Lunsford said.
Although the helicopter planned to take on fuel at the airport in Mosby, Lunsford said there was no immediate indication of what caused the crash.
“At this point it’s too early to try to speculate at all about what might have happened,” he said.
Investigators from the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board were expected to arrive at the scene Saturday morning, Lunsford said. He did not expect more information to be released Friday night.
Authorities in Clay County and Mosby referred questions about the crash to the FAA.
University of Maryland uses new phone app to alert students www.privateofficer.com
Baltimore MD Aug 28 2011 With a tap on his smartphone, University of Maryland student Shiv Krishnamoorthy can instantly alert police as he walks through the dimly lit corners of the College Park campus — and share with them his precise location, plus live video and audio.
The app, which was developed by a university computer science professor and a team of students in conjunction with campus police, is the first of its kind in the small but growing field of smartphone apps for campus security.
M-Urgency will be available to Maryland students, faculty and staff early next month.
While the state university’s flagship campus does not have a serious crime problem, Krishnamoorthy, a doctoral candidate who helped develop M-Urgency, said students are eager for smartphone applications that will help them feel safer on campus.
“This is something they’re really looking forward to,” Krishnamoorthy said.
Security-oriented apps are poised for growth, analysts said, particularly on college campuses, where a growing number of students are carrying the powerful, Internet-connected devices wherever they go.
After mass shootings at Columbine High School, Virginia Tech and other schools, campus security directors are seeing value in enabling their students to report urgent events in real time from their smartphones.
“Many, many police chiefs and directors of public safety have seen that their jobs change from being the head of a campus public safety entity to being an emergency manager on campus,” said Paul Verrecchia, president of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators and police chief of the College of Charleston in South Carolina.
Several companies are partnering with colleges and universities to provide such technology.
AT&T promotes a service called Rave Guardian that enables students to send information about themselves and their location to campus security.
The AT&T service also offers a precautionary timer: If a student sets the timer and doesn’t arrive at his or her destination before the time elapses, the program immediately makes emergency notifications to friends, family or law enforcement.
AT&T charges college campuses licensing fees ranging from $10,000 for up to 5,000 full-time students to $50,000 for campuses that have more than 15,000 students, according to online promotional materials.
A Canadian startup called Guardly made its smartphone app available this year. It allows users to set up notification alerts by voice or text message to friends, family and authorities.
Its business model is similar to the home alarm industry, which typically makes money from monthly fees for alarm monitoring. The company is pursuing licensing deals with universities, according to chief executive Josh Sookman.
“It’s a really big market opportunity,” said Sookman, who said campuses can market their security tools to help retain students.
But security is a sensitive topic for image-conscious colleges, which some industry observers say are more inclined to promote apps that highlight campus amenities or engage alumni for fundraising purposes.
“There are other ways to make students feel safe,” said Todd Marks, chief executive officer of Baltimore-based Mindgrub Inc., which makes mobile apps for colleges and other organizations.
Apps that help students use their phones to pay for food, order cabs, check bus schedules and transfer money can help make them safer by cutting down on the time they spend walking and waiting outside, he said.
The Johns Hopkins University has begun to make real-time updates on its shuttle buses available through NextBus.com. Hopkins officials hope the website, which can send text alerts on bus times, will help reduce the amount of time students wait on the streets for buses.
Other area schools, including Loyola University Maryland, Towson University, and the University of Baltimore, also provide bus schedule information through the service, which may be accessed on any mobile phone that has a Web browser.
The methods for communicating with students have changed radically and continue to evolve very quickly,” said Dennis O’Shea, a Hopkins spokesman. “We do need to be always thinking how students are communicating, and reach them where ever they are.”
Before the rise of cellphones, schools tried to help students feel safe by installing blue-light phones to connect to campus security. Such phones remain on campuses throughout the state.
Maj. Jay Gruber, who oversees technology for the College Park campus police, said the school has 350 monitored cameras and 300 blue-light phones. The campus also is deploying license plate tracking technology to follow vehicles and correlate them to crimes on campus if necessary, he said.
He said campus police are working with the computer science department to develop security smartphone apps because they’re not quite happy with what’s currently on the market.
“What we’re hoping for now is that we’ll get real-time situational awareness for the officers arriving at the scene, and immediately get the caller’s location,” he said.
The app will be useful for those on campus if they become a victim of a crime, if they want to report a crime in progress or alert authorities to a fire, Gruber said.
The app is one of a suite of programs that computer scientists at the campus are developing to improve the quality of life on campus.
Professor Ashok Agrawala, the University of Maryland computer science professor who led the development of the security app, said he is working on a range of “context-aware” applications for computing devices. He runs the university’s Maryland Information and Network Dynamics Lab.
Using smartphones, tablets and computers, the applications Agrawala and his team develop will be able to receive input from a user’s environment, such as location data, and supply useful information, such as shuttle bus locations and schedules.
The university plans to license the M-Urgency technology to other companies, which would develop their own security products with it. Agrawala sees the potential for the application to be used at other universities, and in cities.
“It’s safer for you to carry a smartphone than to carry a gun,” Agrawala said.
The university offered the city of College Park the chance to participate in the M-Urgency program for $100,000 — money that would have come out of the municipality’s speed camera revenues. City officials declined the offer this month.
Verrecchia, of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, said security technology has come down in price over the years, mainly because cellphones now include GPS technology.
In the past, if schools wanted students to have that technology, they would have had to provide it, raising the costs significantly.
But large-scale emergencies, from the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, to natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, have forced campus security directors to look at a wide range of technology to prepare for contingencies. It’s easier to link to the devices that are already in students hands — cellphones — than give them additional gadgets to carry.
“It’s a technical revolution, period,” said Verrecchia.
While smartphones may be used for public safety, they can also be a distraction, preventing a user from noticing what’s happening around him. Campus safety advocates caution students to always be aware of their surrounding and not to get so engrossed in their cellphones that they become oblivious to their safety.
Smartphones “are positive in terms of instant notification and methods to call for help instantly or get a photo/video of a suspect,” said Alison Kiss, executive director of the nonprofit Security on Campus Inc.
“On the other hand, when a student is on the phone or not paying attention to his or her surroundings, it can be dangerous.”
Source:baltimoresun.com
NC high school coach arrested with weapons on campus www.privateofficer.com
Jared Gallagher is accused of choking a 12-year-old player and assaulting a parent after an altercation during practice on the first day of school.
Gallagher has been charged with misdemeanor child abuse, misdemeanor possession of a weapon on educational grounds and misdemeanor resisting, delaying or obstructing a public officer.
According to a report filed with the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, it all started at Corriher-Lipe Middle School around 5 p.m. after football practice.
Head football coach Douglas Pruitt told deputies that Gallagher was walking with the 12-year-old boy to the locker room after practice and choked him.
Pruitt tried to intervene, but Gallagher tried to fight him, according to the report. A parent then got involved as Pruitt called 911 for help.
When deputies arrived they approached Gallagher and asked him to put his hands behind his back.
Gallagher did not comply, according to the report, and was tased by the deputy. Gallagher reportedly pulled the prongs out of his body and was shocked again by another officer behind him, the report stated. Gallagher was shocked for a third time and fell to the ground where he was restrained by officers.
Deputies discovered a 9 mm pistol with 79 live rounds of ammunition inside Gallagher’s truck, according to the report.
That had parents worried because Gallagher already posted his $5,000 bond.
Tracy Palmer’s son is in the eighth grade.
“If he brought that much ammo…he could come back,” Palmer said.
Gallagher is the assistant football coach and full-time In-School-Suspension (ISS) assistant for the school. He is suspended without pay pending the investigation.
School security nabs man with drugs www.privateofficer.com
OCEAN SPRINGS, MS Aug 28 2011 – A man wanted for felony shoplifting now faces new charges after he was spotted near Ocean Springs Middle School Friday afternoon.
Mathew Everett, 25, of Vancleave, caught the attention of a school security officer when he was walking across the school parking lot. The officer knew Everett was wanted for felony shoplifting, so he arrested him.
When Ocean Springs Police officers got to the school, they said they found drug paraphernalia and Oxycotin on their suspect.
The Narcotics Task Force of Jackson County has since taken over the investigation, charging Everett with one count of possession of a controlled substance within 1500 feet of school property. He’s being held at the Ocean Springs Municipal Jail on the felony shoplifting charge.
The felony shoplifting charge was a result of a incident that took place on August 30, 2010 at the Ace Hardware in Ocean Springs.
Investigators said Everett was never a threat to students or staff during his arrest, and that school officials took appropriate steps to ensure the safety of students and staff during the incident.
Bond has not been set. Police said Everett will have a initial appearance in the coming days.
Source:WLOX.com
Federal security officer pleads guilty to helping gangs smuggle cash www.privateofficer.com
Buffalo NY Aug 28 2011 A former federal security officer admitted Friday that she helped members of a local drug gang smuggle cash through the Buffalo Niagara International Airport.
Minnetta Walker, who was arrested in March after an 11-month investigation, admitted that she helped an alleged member of the drug ring use a fake name for traveling and helped him bypass security scanners at the airport.
The 43-year-old Buffalo woman also admitted that she once warned two of the man’s alleged drug associates that federal agents were tailing them in the airport.
The case raises disturbing questions:
* Did Walker, an employee of the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, act alone?
* Is her case an indication of serious security problems at the airport?
* If Buffalo drug dealers can evade airport security to smuggle cash, could terrorists use the same methods to smuggle dangerous weapons or substances?
Federal officials said they could not provide specific answers to those questions Friday afternoon, but no other officials of the TSA or the airport are charged in the case, according to U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr.
Hochul said he hopes the case will cause the TSA to take a close look at security at airports in Buffalo and other cities, to determine whether improvements need to be made.
“It is certainly of concern to the Department of Justice,” said Hochul, the region’s chief federal prosecutor. “I would certainly recommend that there be an ongoing review … There definitely needs to be a learning experience [for] all of us.”
The tactics Walker used are being closely examined to make sure others cannot repeat them, said George W. Gast, who oversees airport security as chief of the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Police.
Walker was arrested after an investigation by Buffalo agents of the FBI, NFTA Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement.
In a related case Thursday, a former employee of the Buffalo city clerk’s office pleaded guilty to a felony, admitting that she made up a false birth certificate that an alleged drug dealer, Derek Frank, used for interstate travel.
Regina McCullen, 53, a former customer assistant who was fired by the city in May, pleaded guilty to an identity fraud conspiracy charge.
The Buffalo News learned that at least one other person — an individual who is close to McCullen and works for an airline — is also expected to be charged criminally in the case.
Walker has not been charged with receiving payoffs or gratuities of any kind from the drug traffickers she helped, Hochul said. The prosecutor said he really doesn’t know at this point why Walker did it.
When District Judge Richard J. Arcara asked Walker why she helped the drug dealers, she had little information for him.
“I don’t know … I wasn’t thinking,” she said.
But her court-appointed attorney, James DeMatteo, said Walker told him she did have a reason, and it wasn’t money.
“She told me that Derek Frank is a close friend of her family, and that she did this for one reason — to help a friend,” DeMatteo said. “I know the government doesn’t believe her, but I don’t know of one piece of evidence they have that she got money from any of these guys. She certainly hasn’t been out buying expensive cars or jewelry.”
Walker is sorry for her actions, and after taking her plea, she “burst into tears” in a courthouse elevator and “was almost out of control,” DeMatteo said.
“She’s made a huge mistake. She’s lost an excellent job with a decent paycheck and excellent benefits,” DeMatteo said.
Before the TSA fired her after her arrest, Walker told a judge she made about $40,000 annually as a behavioral detection officer at the airport.
Her job was to walk around the airport, looking for suspicious individuals who might be planning some criminal activity. Instead, she admitted she spent at least some of her working hours accompanying drug suspects as they walked through security checkpoints without undergoing close examination of themselves or their carry-on luggage.
Because Walker was close by Frank’s side, other TSA workers let him slide through the checkpoints with a minimum of scrutiny, authorities said.
According to a TSA spokeswoman, Lisa Farbstein, it would be unfair for Walker’s actions to reflect on more than 47,000 TSA workers who work to ensure the safety of travelers.
TSA worked closely with federal prosecutors and agents on the probe, Farbstein said.
“The agency aggressively investigates all allegations of misconduct,” Farbstein said. She said the agency has a “zero tolerance” approach to illegal actions such as Walker’s.
While Walker is believed to be the first TSA worker to be criminally charged in Buffalo, the agency has had scandals in other cities.
In February, two TSA officers at Kennedy International Airport were charged with stealing $39,000 from a piece of luggage. A TSA supervisor in Newark, N.J., was charged last year with stealing thousands of dollars from foreign passengers, mostly people who could not speak English.
After an internal investigation in June, the TSA announced that it would seek the termination of 30 workers at the Honolulu International Airport in Hawaii. The probe focused on the improper screening of passenger baggage.
Speaking about the Buffalo probe on Friday, Hochul commended the work of the lead prosecutor on the case, Mary Catherine Baumgarten.
Under advisory sentencing guidelines, Walker faces a federal prison term in the probable range of 18 to 24 months. She pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the federal government.
Source:buffalonews.com
Detroit security officer kills man at Social Security Administration office www.privateofficer.com
DETROIT MI Aug 28 2011 – One man is killed, another flees on foot Friday night around 5:30 p.m. after a Detroit security guard fires nine shots at two men who jumped a fence at the Social Security office near Wyoming and 7 Mile Road.
Since Social Security is a federal office, both Detroit Police and Homeland Security are handling the investigation.
The guard was taken into police custody for questioning.
The investigation is ongoing
Source:WWJ
Eagle Grove teacher’s associate arrested for sending lewd photos www.privateofficer.com
Bailey Tokheim, 25, of Eagle Grove, was arrested Friday after an investigation by law enforcement authorities who were contacted by the mother of a student at Eagle Grove High School.
The Wright County sheriff’s office was contacted in late July by the woman who said she was concerned because she had seen communications between her child and Tokheim on the student’s computer.
Tokheim sent “inappropriate” photos of herself to the woman’s son, according to the sheriff’s office. The photos have allegedly been sent to the victim over the past seven months.
Tokheim was charged with telephone dissemination of obscene material to a minor, which is an aggravated misdemeanor.
Details of the photos’ contents have not been disclosed.
The name of the student was not made public.
Tokheim was released on her own recognizance Friday. She is scheduled to appear in Wright County Magistrate Court Wednesday.
Source:the messenger
Arvada High School assistant principal arrested for sexual assault of student www.privateofficer.com
Arvada CO Aug 28 2011 An assistant principal at Arvada High School has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a female student.
Anthony Alvarez, 40, was arrested Thursday on two counts of suspicion of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust, said Arvada police spokeswoman Susan Medina.
Alvarez has worked for Jefferson County Public Schools since 2000. According to court records, Alvarez has known the girl, now 15, since she was a seventh-grader at Everitt Middle School, where he was a teacher until 2008. He has been at Arvada High since 2008.
Alvarez has been suspended from his job, district spokeswoman Lynn Setzer said.
Alvarez turned himself in at the urging of his wife, who overheard a “sexually explicit” phone conversation between the suspect and the student, according to an arrest affidavit.
Sexually explicit messages between the pair were also found on Alvarez’s Facebook page, according to court records.
The girl told investigators she had a “relationship” with Alvarez for the past six to eight months. According to the affidavit, the girl said she had sexual contact with Alvarez on Aug. 9 inside his car in a movie theater parking lot.
In court Friday, Alvarez’s bail was set at $5,000, and he was ordered not to have contact with the victim or anyone else under the age of 18.
His next court appearance is scheduled for Thursday.
Source:www.denverpost.com
Tallahassee teacher charged with $150,000 theft www.privateofficer.com
Tallahassee Fla Aug 28 2011 An English teacher at Chiles High School has been charged with stealing at least $150,000 from the school’s yearbook account, said John Hunkiar, Leon County School District chief of safety, security and emergency management.
Tammy Bennett, 52, was arrested Friday on charges of grand theft and organizing a scheme to defraud, Hunkiar said.
An internal audit led to a criminal investigation earlier this summer. Bennett was placed on paid administrative leave during the investigation.
A warrant was obtained, and Bennett turned herself in at the Leon County Sheriff’s Office on Friday afternoon, Hunkiar said.
A probable cause affidavit was not available Friday.
The district will immediately initiate termination proceedings and will be looking for full restitution, Hunkiar said.
While there are no other charges in the case, Hunkiar said, the district will continue to follow up on every detail surrounding the theft.
Chiles Principal Alan Cox said that Bennett’s actions — which Hunkiar said began five years ago — were unexpected. She had been at the school since it opened 12 years ago and was yearbook sponsor in addition to an English instructor, Cox said.
Bennett was booked Friday afternoon into the Leon County Jail. She could not be reached for comment.
Source:tallahassee democrat
Darlington County School District teacher arrested for theft www.privateofficer.com
Darlington police identify him as Jorge Ignacio Manzano, 40. They say he’s accused of stealing a school computer and is charged with Petty Larceny.
Captain Danny Watson says the theft occurred between January 4th of this year and March 8th.
Manzano turned himself in around 9:30 a.m. Friday. He is out of jail on bond.
He has been put on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
Former Orland Hills police officer sues after being terminated www.privateofficer.com
While working as an Orland Hills police officer, David Kristofek stopped a 2000 Kia automobile Nov. 12, 2010, during a traffic stop and the male driver received two tickets for driving with a suspended registration and failing to provide proof of insurance. The driver was arrested and his vehicle was ordered towed.
The male driver informed the officers who arrived at the scene to assist Kristofek that his mother was a former mayor for a nearby town and requested to be released, the suit said. The driver’s girlfriend, the only other occupant of the vehicle, handed Kristofek a cell phone and told him that the driver’s mother was on the phone, who then requested that Kristofek not arrest her son.
While preparing the arrest paperwork at the police station, Kristofek was told by other officers to give all paperwork to the deputy chief and to delete any information about the driver that had been entered into the computer system, the suit said.
Kristofek gave the documents to the deputy chief who then told him to release the driver, the suit said. The deputy chief also told Kristofek that he made a good arrest but the driver’s release from custody was “above you and I,” the suit said.
Kristofek was concerned that he and the other police officers were possibly involved in political corruption by fixing the traffic arrests and arrest of the driver, the suit said. He spoke with the other officers about the situation and after speaking to a lawyer, contacted the FBI. Kristofek told the officers who assisted him on the arrest about contacting the FBI, the suit said.
During a meeting with police chief Thomas Scully and the deputy chief, Kristofek was told by Scully that he needs to be able to trust his officers and he could no longer be trusted, the suit said.
Scully told Kristofek he could either resign or be terminated, the suit said. Kristofek refused to resign and he was terminated. The two officers that assisted Kristofek with the arrest have also left the police department, the suit said.
The six-count suit claims retaliatory discharge and seeks a jury trial, Kristofek’s reinstatement to the police force, back pay and damages.
A spokesperson for Orland Hills police was not available for comment Thursday evening.
La Joya police chief committed suicide www.privateofficer.com
Pathologist Norma Farley conducted del Angel’s autopsy. It lists his cause of death as a “gunshot wound of the chest” and his manner of death as suicide.
“It is my opinion, based on the investigative information obtained and the autopsy findings, Jose Luis del Angel died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” the report says.
Farley has worked many suicide cases.
“Suicide cases can be quite emotional. Sometimes family and friends don’t want to believe this individual would have done this, but we work it like we work any case. Actually, many times we work it like a homicide until we get all the information in,” says Farley.
Del Angel was found dead in his patrol unit May 12. He had a gunshot wound to the chest. A gun was found in his vehicle. Investigators from the Hidalgo County homicide unit and Texas Rangers worked the case. Justice of the Peace Luis Garza pronounced del Angel dead. The body was turned over to Farley for autopsy.
“It’s pretty easy at the time of autopsy to get the cause of death. It’s the manner of death or how that came about. So if you have a gunshot wound to the head, is it a suicide or is it a homicide? That’s where the investigative information becomes important,” says Farley.
Farley’s autopsy report on del Angel credits information investigators found while working the case.
“According to statements from multiple witnesses, (del Angel) had been depressed over a relationship with his common-law wife and had work-related stress,” says Farley.
Shortly after his death, officers who had worked under del Angel and others who were close to him came forward. They said he was struggling with personal issues. Still, suicide seemed hard to believe. Farley says suicide victims often make only subtle cries for help.
“Sometimes it’s just a comment. ‘Oh, I don’t want to do this anymore. I don’t want to live anymore.’ And it’s kind of just brushed to the side because nobody wants to believe someone would kill themselves,” says Farley.
Del Angel was a man with a fearless reputation. As La Joya’s top cop, he fought criminals on the frontline. Farley says high-stress professions like law enforcement claim suicide victims regularly.
“Suicides can affect any profession, doctors, law enforcement, firefighters. Common themes are usually actually depression. Depression is the number one disease we see that causes someone to commit suicide,” says Farley.
The handgun found beside del Angel’s dead body was issued to him by the La Joya Police Department.
Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Trevino says the autopsy has officially closed the investigation into del Angel’s death.
Del Angel was buried a few miles from La Joya in Sullivan City. That’s where he, his brothers and sister grew up. One of his brothers, Sergio del Angel, says he wishes he could turn back the hands of time.
Their graves are side by side. Generations of Sergio del Angel’s family are buried together at the cemetery. It’s a place he knows well.
“I seriously thought I was going to have him longer,” says Sergio.
The dirt still needs to settle over a casket recently buried. It’s still too fresh to lay cement over. More has changed here than meets the eye.
“He was the strongest in the family,” says Sergio.
His family, his co-workers, his community, everybody considered del Angel a true leader. He was best known as La Joya’s police chief. He was seen as a fearless man. News of his death shocked the Valley.
“When they said that it was suicide, I thought he really did it because of the way he was acting,” says Sergio.
Sergio del Angel says he saw a change in his brother in the weeks leading up to his death.
“He was sad. He would sometimes get angry, and I never saw that side of him,” says Sergio.
Sergio says he knew the behavior had a lot to do with the personal issues. Del Angel had recently separated from his common-law wife. Their two children, a boy and girl, were staying with her. Still, Sergio says he didn’t think it would come to this. He says when he first heard his older brother was gone, his mind started to rewind.
“I was very confused. I thought I could have done more. I should have told him you are not alone. Come and live with me. So you won’t feel alone. I could have done that for him, but I guess it’s too late now,” says Sergio.
Sergio says his brother spent his entire life being brave. He wonders out loud if that bravery got in the way. Perhaps he couldn’t bring himself to ask for help. He wishes his brother would have told him he was contemplating suicide. He wishes he could have taken the top cop’s fingers from the trigger that night.
Sergio says his life will never truly be the same now that the man he looked up to is gone.
Source:krgv.com
US Coast Guard executive officer arrested for assaulting police www.privateofficer.com
Lt. j.g. Paul A. Sprenger, 25, has a preliminary hearing set for Monday before Ketchikan judge Kevin Miller.
“The Coast Guard is fully cooperating with the Ketchikan Police Department with regards to the investigation,” Coast Guard spokesperson Chief Petty Officer Kip Wadlow said. “This is something the Coast Guard takes very seriously, which is why we cooperate with the other law enforcement agencies in the investigation. We are obviously concerned about it too.”
The Liberty is in Ketchikan for routine dry dock and maintenance and was at the time of the alleged transgressions, but is usually based out of Auke Bay.
Sprenger was arrested near midnight of the night in question. According to a Ketchikan Police Department press release, officers contacted Sprenger on Austin Street after receiving a report of a man attempting to break into Tongass Towers.
Upon arrival, officers observed Sprenger holding a broom and he was advised to lie on the ground. Sprenger continually refused officer commands and began a verbal tirade. Sprenger then began kicking, spitting and threatening the officers multiple times. Officers eventually were able to restrain Sprenger.
After being booked and held on $1,000 bail, Sprenger was taken to Ketchikan Correctional Center. He was arraigned on Aug. 5. on charges burglary, assault in the 4th degree – reckless injury; harassment 1 – offensive contact with fluids, resist/interference arrest – by force, and criminal mischief 4 (property damage between $50 – $499).
According to a Wadlow, Sprenger has been temporarily relieved of his duties as Liberty’s executive officer and is temporarily reassigned to a staff position at Coast Guard Sector Juneau until the investigation is complete.
“His new staff position is not connected or associated with anything involving the ongoing investigation,” Wadlow said. “All military members are subject to the civilian courts. We are also subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice.”
The Uniform Code of Military Justice is how military personnel incidents are handled within the organization.
“We are not taking that step yet because the investigation is not finished,” Wadlow said. “Once we have those results, that will be the next step in the process. Pending the results of the investigation he will be held accountable in the civilian courts and then he will also be held accountable within the Coast Guard organization as well. We are accountable to the American public, we want to be as transparent as possible as to how we are spending their money, how are people are expected to behave. … . If someone gets in trouble we will be as forthright as we can as far as releasing results once everything has become official.”
The Liberty is a 110-foot Island-class fast patrol boat. The multi-mission patrol boat operates in Sector Juneau of Coast Guard District 17. The Liberty has 16 enlisted crew and two officers. Their duties include search and rescue, law enforcement, homeland security, and force protection.
Source:Juneau Empire
Luzerne County to arm security officers www.privateofficer.com
Luzerne County PA Aug 28 2011 Government security guards will soon be reassigned to the sheriff’s office and trained to carry guns and Mace, county officials say.
Commissioner Chairwoman Maryanne Petrilla verified the plans Thursday, saying county officials had to negotiate details with union representatives before making any announcements.
The shift was initiated to “heighten security and public safety,” she said.
“We’re trying to enhance security at our buildings. There have been times when there were gang members in our courtrooms, and the judges felt frightened leaving and going out to their cars,” Petrilla said.
The change will take effect soon, with training in weapons, the use of restraint and other law enforcement skills for the county’s roughly 25 security guards, Petrilla said.
Security guards who complete training will be categorized as “Level 2” security deputy sheriffs, she said. These guards likely will receive pay increases, though the amounts have not been discussed and would have to be approved at a public meeting, Petrilla said.
Guards who don’t complete training will be classified as unarmed “Level 1” and will be assigned to county property that doesn’t require high-level security, such as the courthouse parking garage, parking lots and Moon Lake Park, Petrilla said.
Level 1 guards won’t be eligible for pay increases, and the county will replace them with Level 2 guards when they retire or leave county employment, Petrilla said.
Level 2 guards would be stationed at all public entry points in county-owned buildings that have courtrooms and a human services building that houses Children and Youth, she said.
Security guards and sheriff deputies are represented by different bargaining units of the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees, or AFSCME, and that won’t change, Petrilla said.
County Sheriff John Gilligan supports the move.
“I feel as though you need armed people at the entries. With the world the way it is today, there are a lot of things happening in courthouses all over the country,” Gilligan said.
The county’s 39 deputy sheriffs must undergo 16 weeks of extensive training, Gilligan said. The deputies provide courtroom security, transport prisoners, process mortgage foreclosure sales and gun permits and serve civil documents, protection-from-abuse orders and other paperwork, he said.
Petrilla said the change should fit into the restructuring that will happen when the county switches to a new home rule government in January.
The home rule charter adopted by voters eliminates an elected sheriff and puts the sheriff’s office duties under a new division of judicial services and records.
Security of county buildings and grounds falls under a new division of operational services under home rule.
Commissioners have been tossing around proposed changes in security for years but never before acted on them.
When metal detectors were installed at county buildings a decade ago, commissioners debated whether to assign sheriff deputies or security guards to man them, ultimately choosing security guards. Commissioners considered outsourcing building security last year to save money but backed away from the proposal.
The starting pay for security guards is $19,300. Sheriff deputies start at about $25,000, Gilligan said.
Source:www.timesleader.com
Mother sues security company in death of son www.privateofficer.com
The suit, which goes to trial next week, was filed on behalf of Lori Pixley and names former security guard Sam Tavaloddi, Jr., the North County Transit Board, and Heritage Security. The lawsuit claims they were negligent and reckless in their actions.
“I want people to be accountable for the things that went wrong,” said a tearful Pixley.
Pixley’s lawsuit claims Tavaloddi was “an under-trained, incompetent and un-supervised armed security guard” who killed 21-year-old Anthony Wacker on September 11, 2009.
“From what I know, they didn’t check any of his (Tavaloddi’s) references,” said Pixley.
Pixley told 10News the page of Tavaloddi’s application where he was supposed to list past employers was left blank.
“Why didn’t they ask him to fill out the application completely, or check any references, or ask him any questions about that?” she asked.
Since her son’s death, Pixley learned Tavaloddi left the previous employment section of his application blank, even though she says he did have law enforcement experience.
“I didn’t know that he used to be a police officer and that he was terminated,” said Pixley..
Pixley is asking for an undisclosed amount in damages — said to be in the millions — for her loss and suffering, as well as punitive damages.
Her attorney, Todd Macaluso, said, “A great injustice has been done.”
Macaluso also said the case could lead to changes in California law regarding security guards.
“We believe that the procedures and policies that security personnel follow, or should follow, are currently inadequate,” he said.
Police charge 19 yr old with shooting security officer www.privateofficer.com
In the first case, Rhondon Pollard is accused of shooting a man June 15 near Park and American streets.
On June 25, police said the security guard was on patrol at Doyle Manner, 625 E. Oak St. in Stockton, when Pollard shot him. The guard was treated at Modesto Memorial Hospital and released.
Pollard was arrested July 21 during a task force sweep, police said. The San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office has filed charges against Pollard, police said. Pollard is being held at the San Joaquin County Jail with bail set at more than $3 million. He is scheduled to appear in a Stockton courtroom on Tuesday.
Phoney money suspect nabbed by NJ mall security www,.privateofficer.com
Livingston NJ Aug 28 2011 If an earthquake, hurricane and fire – all in one week – was not enough, Livingston Police arrested a shopper trying to pass off $100 counterfeit bills at the Livingston Mall.
The phony bills were $5 bills that had been washed and reprinted for $100s, a common scheme, said Detective Sgt. Anthony Dippold. Because they use the paper from real money, the counterfeits can be hard to detect. “In my opinion, these were very well made,” Dippold said.
Police arrested Taqoyia Davis, 18, of Orange. She was charged with uttering a false document (under the forgery statute), possession of stolen property, and theft by deception.
According to the police report, Davis allegedly used three fake $100 bills on Thursday at two stores in the mall before she was confronted by mall security, Dippold said. They were tipped off after clerks at two other retailers refused to accept the money.
The Secret Service is part of a continuing investigation of the phony money, Dippold said, and the case was referred to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.
Bank donates money to police-security who stopped robbery www.privateofficer.com
“We are deeply moved by the bravery demonstrated by the Loomis security guard and Pinole police officers,” said Jim Foley, the executive vice president of Wells Fargo’s Greater Bay Region, while announcing that $10,000 will go to help Pinole police officers injured on duty and $10,000 will be donated to a nonprofit charity of the Loomis guard’s choice. “We thank them for the critical work they do to protect public safety every single day.”
Freddie Daniels, 24, was charged Friday with murder in the death of his brother, an accomplice in the robbery that unraveled when the Loomis guard exchanged gunfire with the brothers about 9:20 a.m. Wednesday. When the two Pinole officers responded, Pierre Daniel wounded one of them before being fatally shot by the other officer.
Officer Brian “Justin” Takacs was shot in the shoulder and is expected to recover after undergoing surgery Thursday. The Loomis guard remains hospitalized with a significant hip injury.
Middlesex County VA. Sheriff indicted on embezzlment charges www.privateofficer.com
SALUDA, Va. Aug 28 2011 (AP) — Middlesex County Sheriff Guy L. Abbott has been indicted on embezzlement and other charges.
A special grand jury indicted Abbott on Thursday on 25 felony counts. In addition to embezzlement, Abbott is charged with bribery and misuse of public assets.
Virginia Attorney General’s Office spokesman Brian Gottstein tells the Daily Press that Abbott remains free on a personal recognizance bond following his arrest Thursday.
Gottstein says the alleged crimes occurred from 2000 to 2008.
Abbott declined to comment upon the advice of his attorney. He’s scheduled to appear in Middlesex County Circuit Court on Sept. 7.
Abbott has served as the county’s sheriff since Jan. 1, 2000. He is seeking re-election this year.
